Rahul Gandhi granted bail in case over remarks about Indian Army during Bharat Jodo Yatra
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with CPI (ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and others addresses supporters and the media during 'Bihar bandh' called by the INDIA bloc against Special Intensive Revision in the state, in Patna | PTI
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been granted bail against two sureties of Rs 20,000 each by Lucknow's MP-MLA court.
This came as Gandhi surrendered in court after five previous summons in a case filed against him for allegedly making remarks against the Indian Army during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Gandhi's lawyer, Pranshu Agarwal, had previously said that he was confident that the court would dismiss the case against his client. He had also sought permission to appear on behalf of his client, but the court had rejected that and ordered Gandhi to appear in person. He was liable to be held in contempt of court had he not appeared today.
He was accompanied by a posse of Congress workers and leaders, which included Rajya Sabha MP, Pramod Tiwari and his daughter, Aradhna Mishra, who is an MLA.
Former Director General of Border Roads Organization (BRO) Uday Shankar Srivastava had filed a case against Rahul Gandhi in the CJM court on February 11. The complainant alleged that Rahul Gandhi had made objectionable remarks about the Indian Army during his yatra on December 16, 2022. Referring to the clash on the India-China border on December 9, 2022, Gandhi had said that Chinese soldiers were thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh.
The former director said that Rahul Gandhi's statement was misleading and factually incorrect. According to him, this comment not only lowered the morale of Indian soldiers but also hurt the sentiments of their families.
Factually, on December 12, 2022, Chinese soldiers tried to infiltrate the Indian border. This was rebuffed by Indian soldiers. Both sides suffered minor injuries, and the Chinese soldiers had to retreat.
The bench at Lucknow had earlier upheld the Freedom of Speech but said that its use does not allow for the hurting of any section of society, including the Army. It had also underscored the context of Gandhi’s remarks. The court noted that as these were made in a press conference, the intention was clear- that it be widely disseminated. Gandhi had wanted these to be published in newspapers and magazines.
Gandhi will spend two more days in the state and is slated to be in his constituency, Rae Bareli.
India